Just One Call
by spaceman-earthgirl
Summary: What if Castle had called Beckett that summer? Set between seasons 3 and 4.
1. Chapter 1

Set in the summer between season 3 and 4.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Ever since that day at the cemetery, every night was the same. Castle would wake up, heart pounding, covered in sweat, with the image of Kate covered in blood burned into his mind. And just like every other night this happened, he had to resist the urge to pick up his phone and call her, just one simple call was all he'd need to reassure himself that she was okay. It was worse in the dark, when he was alone and scared and it seemed so simple to call her, just to hear her voice.

But he never did call, he never had to courage to dial her number, afraid with what he'd be met with on the other end. Or worse, that she wouldn't pick up at all and then he'd know exactly how she felt about him and the truth behind why she'd never called since she'd left. He still held out hope that she'd be the one to call him when she was ready but with each passing day, his hope lessened, but he wouldn't give up on her, not yet.

There was something about tonight though and how vivid the dream still was that had him picking up his phone and searching through his contacts to find her name. He smiled as he saw the picture he'd saved next to her name, one he'd taken while she had been laughing at one of his jokes when they'd been out for drinks with Lanie and the boys

His thumb hesitated over the icon and one simple press to the screen would have him calling her. This was as far as he'd gotten last time he'd almost called her but he'd seen reason and decided not to wake her in the middle or the night. Or was she awake just like him? Lying in bed, woken from a nightmare and unsure what to do. He really hoped not and he pushed that thought out of his mind before he did something really stupid like actually call her at 3 o'clock in the morning just to tell her he'd had a nightmare.

Castle groaned and dropped his phone, pressing his palms into his eyes in an attempt to rid his mind of the images of a lifeless Beckett lying before him but it was no use and he knew tonight he probably wouldn't be getting any more sleep.

Before her shooting, this would've been when he'd go into his office and write instead, at least that way his sleeplessness was productive but ever since that day, he's struggled to write anything. It's been a month and a half and he knows eventually that he'll have to start writing again, that he needs to finish the next book Nikki Heat but without his inspiration with him, Castle isn't entirely sure how he's going to do that.

Since writing isn't an option, he settles back in to try and get some more sleep, hoping his exhaustion will help with that but it's not even an hour later and he jolts back awake, the same images of Beckett flashing through his mind as he can do nothing but watch her die in front of him.

Before he can really think too much about what he's doing, now just completely desperate to hear her voice, his phone is back in his hand and his thumb is hitting the screen, dialing her number.

 **XXX**

Kate was woken from a restless sleep as her phone started vibrating on the night stand beside her bed. Through the haze of sleep, she reached out to grab it, wondering who was calling her. She'd had plenty of calls in the past six weeks since she'd been staying at her father's cabin but all of them had been at a reasonable hour. She never answered the calls thought, couldn't bring herself to but she still kept her phone charged, her one link to the world that was continuing on without her.

Her heart started pounding when she saw the unexpected face looking back at her from the phone in her hand, the face of the man who loved her.

What should she do now, should she answer it? She'd thought every day about calling him. At this point it wouldn't even worry her what they spoke about, just that they were speaking, that she could hear his voice again. She'd thought about calling him to tell him how sorry she was for disappearing on him, to ask how he and his family were doing, just to say anything really. But now that that was a possibility, that she could speak to him with the simple press of a button, she had no idea what she'd actually say to him.

She could answer, pretend she was okay, that she was enjoying her time off, that she was healing and would be back to work as soon as she's physically able to but she knows he'd see right through that and she doesn't want to lie to him like that.

But equally, could she tell him the truth? That she was completely miserable and constantly in pain. That she woke up every night to visions of him dying over and over again, trying to save her. That her dad had found her more than once, curled up in the corner of her room, a crying mess. She couldn't tell him any of that, no matter how much she wanted to. She wasn't ready to trust someone that much, to let them see that much of her out of fear they wouldn't like what they saw and would leave her. She couldn't let him see that much out of fear he'd leave her.

So, what was she to do now? Ignore the call like she had with all the others or answer and hope that everything was okay with him, that she hadn't done too much damage by cutting him out and that their relationship wasn't beyond repair.

Beckett didn't want to do that though, couldn't find it in herself to ignore him any longer. She'd spent the last month and a half wishing she were brave enough to call him but she didn't need the courage to call now, just the courage to answer.

 **XXX**

His heart pounded, no longer due to his nightmare, as he sat with his phone pressed to his ear, waiting for her to answer. Just as he was about to give up, expecting the call to go to voicemail at any moment, a soft, hesitant voice came through the phone.

"Hello?"

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	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I didn't expect the response this story got so thanks for all the reviews, favourites and follows! You wanted more? Here's more.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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"Hello?"

Castle froze when he heard her speak, he hadn't actually thought that she'd answer her phone. What should he say now?

"Beckett?" Why did that sound like a question, of course it was her, he thought, berating himself.

Hearing his voice helped more than she thought something so simple ever could.

"Hi, Castle," she replied and just saying his name, talking to him, it made her feel better than she had since that awful day.

They were both silent after that, just listening to the breathing of the other through the phone. It was amazing how much even just this helped both of them. It made them feel like all wasn't lost and that they could eventually get back to where they had been.

"Castle?" Beckett said a little while later, afraid that Castle had fallen asleep when she heard his breathing begin to even out.

Castle jolted slightly, close to sleep, lulled by the reassuring sounds of her on the other side of the phone. He thinks the sleep he was close to succumbing to would actually be nightmare free for the first time since she'd left.

"I'm here," he said softly and the depth he put into those two simple words, Beckett knew he wasn't just talking about currently being on the phone with her, he was talking about being there for her always.

That thought almost had Beckett spiraling into one of her panic attacks, which had unfortunately been happening more frequently lately. But she managed to calm herself and oddly the man who almost caused her to freak out, was the same man that calmed her down now, just by matching his breathing through the phone.

"I know," Beckett said eventually and she took a deep breath before she spoke again, "why did you call?"

The words "why didn't you?" sprung to Castle's mind immediately but he held them back. He could tell she was hurting just by the few words that she'd said to him and he didn't want to make that worse, he wanted to have a proper conversation with her first.

"I…" He didn't have a clue what to say and he couldn't come up with a single thing to say other than telling her the truth. But should he tell her the truth, tell her he was missing her desperately? That he wanted to be there for her, to help her get better?

She sat there listening intently, waiting for him to continue but he didn't.

"How are you?" she finally asked and it was strange, strange that she was the one prompting him, trying to get him to open up instead of the other way around.

Castle laughed out loud at that, not being able to stop the sound from coming out of his mouth. How was he? He wasn't great at all. But for some reason, to hear that question from Beckett at a time like this, it had him laughing the first real laugh since she'd left.

Beckett couldn't help but smile at Castle's laughter, it was a sound she hadn't realised she'd missed so much.

"You too, huh?" Beckett asked and while she wasn't glad that he'd had to go through all of this too, she was glad that there was someone else out there who knew exactly what she was going through.

Instantly, Beckett felt guilty at how she'd cut him out, knowing how much he probably would've benefited from having someone to work through this with him, just like she would've. In her mind, she'd told herself that he'd moved on, that he was happily living his life like he used to before they'd met. This phone call was a painful reminder of just how untrue that really was and how much she'd really hurt him.

They were both struggling for words now, unsure again what to say. Castle wished he was there with her, could wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything was okay, or at least that everything would be okay eventually. He wanted that not just for her though, but for himself too. He wanted to be able to look over next to him and see Beckett there, for her to be able to wrap her arms around him too and reassure him that everything would be okay.

"Castle," Beckett sighed, tiredness slowly wrapping around her brain again but she didn't want to tell him she should sleep, she didn't want him to leave her. And that was probably selfish of her, not wanting him to leave her when she did the very same thing to him. She needed him and she was almost ready to admit that to at least herself.

"I don't know what to say," Castle laughed again, truly at a loss for words. Well, he knew three words he wanted to say to her but whether or not she remembers the first time he said them, he can tell she's in no place at the moment to hear them again. He's not even sure if he'd have the courage to say them again just yet.

"The writer who doesn't have words? That's a first," Beckett joked and it felt good to laugh with him again, even if what they were laughing about wasn't funny at all.

"I haven't had words since you left," he said, the words pouring out before he could stop them, letting her know too much.

"Castle," Beckett said again, her voice cracking. She may have been saying his name a lot this early morning but it felt really good to say to him again. But hearing those words didn't sound good at all.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," said Castle, squeezing his eyes shut like he could make himself disappear.

"No, it's okay, I want you to feel you can be honest with me and that I can be honest with you." She wanted that, she really did. She wanted to be able to tell him the truth and for him to trust her enough to be honest with her in return. But she couldn't, she couldn't tell him all the things she desperately wanted to, which number one was asking him to come out to her father's cabin so she could see him, so she wouldn't be alone. She could ask any one but she wanted him. She was too fragile though, too broken, and she wanted to fix herself first before she let Castle see her again. She trusted him with her life, she just needed to be able to trust him with her heart as well.

Castle puffed a breath out, rubbing his hand down his face. He wanted to get mad, demand answers as to why she disappeared and why she never called but he can't, he's just too tired now, too tired of everything so he went with the truth instead, "I haven't been able to write, not since the…not since you left."

She was silent for a minute, absorbing his words and what they truly meant but before she could reply, he was talking again, "I'm sorry, I can't do this, I shouldn't have called." And then he was hanging up his phone.

"Castle?" she asked almost desperately, but it was too late, the line had gone dead.

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	3. Chapter 3

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed, I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Beckett can't blame him for hanging up, she really can't and now she's not sure what to do. He'll call back, right? If that's what he wanted then he'll call. But is that the coward's way out? Leaving it up to him yet again to make the first move? After all he's done for her, she left him waiting for over a month with no contact just because she was scared. And she's still scared, she's terrified, but it's time for her to step up and try to be the woman he seems to think she is. It's time for her to fight for him.

With shaking hands she picked up her phone again and this time, it's her that dialed his number.

 **XXX**

Castle regretted hanging up as soon as he's done it. What is he even doing? He's an idiot. He'd panicked, felt like he'd revealed too much and hung up before he'd even thought it through. He's about to call her back, try to explain, when the phone in his hand springs to life with her face flashing back at him. He's more relieved than he can put into words as he answered the call.

 **XXX**

"I'm sorry," are the first words out of his mouth.

"No, you have nothing to be sorry for, I'm sorry," Beckett replied immediately. He was always taking the blame for things himself, even when they weren't his fault.

Castle sighed before taking a deep shaky breath, talking to Beckett was affecting him a lot more than he'd thought it would. He understands why now though, talking to her is bringing to the surface everything he's been feeling since she'd gotten shot then left. That anger from before is back again and he pushed it down, doesn't want to end up arguing with her like this, not over the phone, where she could easily hang up like he just did to her.

"Do you…uhh…want to talk about it?" Beckett asked hesitantly when he hadn't said anything more. What is she even doing? They don't usually do this, talk about the real stuff, and it's freaking her out. She doesn't want to have to explain to him what she's feeling, how much of a wreck she is. But she's going to try, for him she'll do anything.

"I don't know," replied Castle honestly, trying to straighten out his thoughts and put them in some sort of order. He'd called her in the middle of the night because he'd had a nightmare, which he hasn't even told her about yet and now she's asking him if he wants to talk about it, which they don't do.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks instead, not entirely sure what "it" is but if she wants to talk about anything, he'll let her.

"I..ummm…" Shit, she really wasn't good at this at all.

"Okay then," Castle said, some of the anger he'd try to repress coming out in his voice, of course she didn't want to talk, she never does. She'd called him back, he'd thought that meant something but maybe it didn't.

"No, wait, I do," Beckett said, pushing down the fear at the thought of having to be completely honest with him, what it would mean to him and for them, "but not like this."

"Not like this?"

"Not when we're both obviously exhausted and when it probably wouldn't end well for either of us."

What did she mean by that? "When then?"

When? She wants to say "pack your bags right now and come see me" but she can't, doesn't want him to see her like this. But why not? Is that selfish of her to not want that when she knows that he does? She's all kinds of messed up and she knows it.

But then she thinks, what does she really want? Her heart started racing at the mere thought that all she wanted was him. She could hurt him, she could hurt him and lose him and that thought was more painful than anything else. Of course, if losing him was what she was really worried about, she'd done a poor job so far at trying to keep that from happening. Not any more though, she was going to fight for what she wanted, she was going to fight for him because she knew the opposite was true too, that they could be happy together.

She didn't have to start big either, she didn't think she could anyway, but a small step forward was still a step forward so that's what she was going to do, she was going to make a gesture to show she was serious about what she wanted and that she was trying, for him.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked instead, and it probably sounds to him like she's avoiding his question but she's just figured out what she wants to do and she wants to say something before she does it.

"Okay," he sighed, running his hand down his face again and rubbing at his tired eyes, wondering where this is going now.

"I'm really glad you called."

"You are?" Castle can't help asking, surprise evident in his voice, he certainly wasn't expecting that.

"I am and I asked you something earlier and I want you to hear my answer."

Castle waited for her in silence, not even sure what question she's talking about now but if she's willing to share something with him, he'll listen.

She takes a deep breath before speaking, trying to summon the courage to say what's on her mind. She's never found sharing easy, she's a very private person and she's always kept people at a distance. She tried that with him too, but it looks like that hasn't exactly worked because he's already far closer than she ever thought he'd be. So now she's going to do something that she never thought she'd do, she's going to trust herself enough to let someone else close to her even if there is a possibility that they'll both get hurt in the end because she wants this and she knows he does too.

"I asked you how you were but now I want to tell you how I am." She paused again, taking another breath. "I'm not good."

"Kate," he gasped out, not expecting her to say that either.

"No, Castle, I need to say this, I'm really not good but you calling me has made me feel so much better. You've given me back hope, hope that things are going to get better eventually, and I want to thank you for that. You're always there for me, even when I push you away and I'm so sorry I didn't call earlier, I wish I'd had the courage to, but I just want you to know how much you calling now has meant to me."

She had tears pouring down her cheeks as she finished her little speech but for the first time in what felt like forever, they weren't tears of pain or sadness, but ones of hope instead.

Beckett heard Castle take a breath like he's about to say something but she spoke before he had the chance.

"Wait, there's one more thing I need to say." She paused again, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping against hope that this isn't going to backfire horribly on them both, "Do you want to come out to my father's cabin to see me?"

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	4. Chapter 4

Thank you again to all who reviewed/favourited/followed, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Beckett held her breath, waiting for Castle to reply. She didn't think he'd say no but there was always a possibility that he would, that'd she'd already done too much damage and he wanted nothing more to do with her after this phone call.

"I'd love to," Castle replied, rather shocked but completely relieved that she'd asked him, he wanted nothing more than to see her again.

"Okay, great," Beckett answered, a smile spreading across her face, happy with herself for finally taking a step forward and doing something she'd been wishing she could do for a while now.

"Are you sure?" Castle asked after a moment, instantly regretting it because what if she already regretted asking, he didn't want to miss what may be the only opportunity he'll get to actually see her and show her what she means to him.

"I'm sure," Beckett replied, vowing to do everything in her power to get him trust her again. She can really see now that she's pushed him away one too many times and that's made him doubt her. She doesn't want that, she doesn't want them to doubt each other, she wants them to be able to trust each other completely.

"And then we'll talk?" asked Castle hesitantly, afraid of pushing her too far but she seemed to be trying and he was so grateful for that.

"And then we'll talk," Becket confirmed, her voice sounding a lot stronger than she actually felt. But she knew she had to do this, it was the only way they'd get the opportunity to fix whatever was broken between them so they'd both have the chance to be happy together.

"When?" Castle asked and honestly, if she said right now, he wouldn't hesitate to pack a bag and he'd be there as soon as he could possibly be.

"How about this weekend?" Beckett asked after a moment's thought. It was Wednesday now so that would at least give her two days to mentally prepare for what him coming to see her meant for them and their relationship and how much things could change once they'd properly talked to each other.

"The weekend sounds good," Castle said, slightly disappointed that she hadn't said sooner but it was just two days away, and then he'd finally be able to see her face to face again.

They were both silent for a moment before Castle was speaking again, "I should let you sleep, I'm sure you're tired."

"Yeah, you should get some sleep too," Beckett replied, not wanting to stop talking but now they were talking again, maybe she might actually be able to get a decent few hours sleep with the memory of Castle's voice keeping the nightmares away at least for tonight.

"I'll call you tomorrow?" He meant to say it as a statement but it came out sounding more like a question.

"Okay," she smiled, "goodnight, Castle."

"Goodnight, Kate."

Castle slumped back against his headboard after he'd ended the call, had that really just happened? He pinched himself just to make sure and yes, he was awake and that had actually happened and he was going to see her in two days. With that thought, he drifted off into the first nightmare free sleep he'd had since this whole thing had started.

 **XXX**

"Good morning, Katie," Jim Beckett greeted as his daughter shuffled into the kitchen, her injury still preventing her from moving properly.

"Good morning, Dad," Beckett replied, smiling at her father. But this time, instead of the forced smile he was used to seeing, he saw a genuine smile spread across his daughter's face.

"Is everything okay?" her father asked, slightly worried but also incredibly glad to see his little girl smiling again for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Everything's okay," she answered and smiled again which only confused her father even more. What had changed since she'd gone to bed last night that was causing her to smile so much now?

He was about to ask her more questions when Beckett's phone started ringing from inside her dressing gown pocket. She reached for it to see who it was, just like she usually did, but Jim Beckett was completely floored when Kate's smile grew even wider and she answered the phone.

"Hi," she answered shyly and Jim had no idea what to think now so he while he finished up making breakfast, he watched his daughter speak to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

 **XXX**

"Is it okay that I called so soon?" Castle asked, having called her as soon as he'd woken up, basically just wanting to confirm that last night did actually happen, that in a few days he was going to get to see her again.

"Yeah, it's fine, I'm glad you called," Beckett answered, knowing that her dad was listening but not caring about what he heard, she was sure if he didn't already know it was Castle, he would soon anyway.

"You are?" he asked and she can hear the surprise and wonder in his voice and she's suddenly sad again that she made him doubt her so much.

"I am," Beckett replied, hoping he could hear the truth in her words.

"So..ahhh..what are you up to?" Castle asked, stumbling over his words, not really sure what to say now. He wanted to keep things light for now, wait until they're face to face to have the tough conversations but he didn't really know what to say otherwise.

"Really, you called to ask what I was up to? Beckett asked, not being able to hide the amusement in her voice.

"I needed some excuse to call," Castle said sheepishly, only partly joking.

Beckett hears the joke in his words but, the distance giving her courage, she replied honestly anyway, "you never need an excuse to call."

Castle's blown away by her honesty yet again but so very relieved that she seems to be opening up to him more and more.

"You never answered my question," Castle said, trying to bring the conversation back to a lighter topic.

"I'm having breakfast with my dad," Beckett replied as her father placed a plate of pancakes in front of her and took the seat opposite. Every few days her dad would make her some kind of cooked breakfast and while to begin with, she could only stomach a few bites, with every passing day she could eat more and more.

"Your dad's there?" Castle asked, surprised that she was talking so openly in front of him.

"He is."

"Well, tell him I say hi then," Castle's said jokingly, in no way actually expecting her to do just that.

"Castle says hi," Beckett tells her father and she doesn't fail to notice how happy he looks that it's Castle she's talking too.

Castle though, has heard her words, and is rather surprised that she actually said that, that her father now knows that it's him that she's talking too and she doesn't seem to mind one bit.

"He says hi back, and that you're welcome to come visit here any time you like."

Jim is the one who is shocked this time, not expecting his daughter to relay the invitation to Castle but he's certainly glad she does, he can already see what just talking on the phone has done for his daughter, how much happier she already seems.

"I'm glad he approves," Castle said and it gets the response he's hoping for when she laughs and with that sound, he vows to make her laugh as much and as often as he possibly can.

"I better go, my dad's giving me a disapproving look for not eating my breakfast but we'll talk later, yeah?" She didn't want to leave him but she'd finally gotten her appetite back and her dad wouldn't be happy if she let her breakfast go cold so she had to go so she could eat it, it was too difficult with her scars to hold the phone to her ear while using a knife and fork.

"Of course, we'll talk soon," Castle replied before they both hung up the phone.

They were both relieved that in the light of day, things still seemed to be going okay between them. They both hoped with the talk that was coming, that things could finally be discussed completely and they could both attempt to move on, together.

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	5. Chapter 5

Thanks again to everyone who is reading this fic, you guys continue to inspire me to write. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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The day had finally arrived that Castle was going to see Beckett. They'd talked several times a day over the last 2 days but it was about nothing too important, more just talk about their days and what they were doing to pass the time unit the weekend arrived.

Castle had been unsure about whether Beckett's invitation meant she just wanted him to come visit for the day, or if she wanted him to stay there for a few days with her. He'd agonized over the decision and decided that the awkwardness of the question was much better than arriving with a bag packed only to have Beckett tell him she hadn't expected him to be staying so he'd ended up just asking her. To his immense relief, she'd told him to pack a bag and that she wanted him to stay with her for a few days.

He'd packed his bag last night, wanting nothing to hold him up in the morning and as soon as it was a reasonable time, he started the journey to her father's cabin. He really couldn't wait to see her again.

 **XXX**

It was finally Saturday and Beckett was freaking out. For the second half of this week, she'd been wishing time would go faster so that it was the weekend but now that it was here, she wasn't entirely sure what to do. Castle had texted her not long ago, saying he was on his way and now she was panicking. What was going to happen when he arrived?

It wasn't just a question of what she'd do either, but what would he do? She knew that she desperately wanted to see him and that he wanted the same but she still felt so broken, what if he didn't like what he saw?

 _No_ , she thought, trying to push that fear out of her mind. She knew he wouldn't care what state she was in, just that he got to see her at all.

Her movement was still limited by her injury so while she wished she could do something to keep busy until he arrived, all she could do was sit around the house like she usually did. This time though, her brain was occupied by thoughts of him (okay, so that wasn't exactly unusual) but now all her thoughts were about what could happen once she actually saw him again.

Her father had left not long ago, saying he wanted to give them some space which Beckett really appreciated. Before he left however, Jim had made some lunch for Castle and herself to eat once he got here. She really hated feeling this useless but was glad her dad was around to help her out when she needed it which was less and less with every passing day.

Beckett was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of a car outside and her heart started pounding at the knowledge that Castle had finally arrived and she'd get to see him in just a few minutes.

With a deep breath, she stood and made her way to the front door.

 **XXX**

Castle's heart was already pounding as he drove up to the house that Beckett had texted him directions too. It was exactly as Beckett had described it, which had been one of the conversations they'd had over the past two days. He parked his car and got out quickly, grabbing his bag as he did so and wondering if Beckett had heard him arrive or not. His question didn't go unanswered for long because as he was walking up to the front door, it opened and his breath caught at the sight in front of him as Beckett stepped out slowly onto the porch. She looked beautiful.

Castle wasted no time in closing the small amount for distance between them, climbing the three porch steps until he was standing in front of her.

Castle dropped his bag at his side and now they both just stood staring at each other. It wasn't that they didn't know what to say, they were just too busy taking in the sight of the other that neither of them bothered to come up with any words.

"Hi," Castle finally said, his smile uncontainable as his eyes continued their exploration of the face he'd been dreaming about seeing for so long.

"Hi," Beckett replied quietly, doing nothing but wonder how she'd managed to convince herself for the past month and a half that it was a good idea not to contact Castle.

Castle could do nothing to stop his hand from lifting then, moving up towards Beckett's face. Her eyes widened as she saw what he was doing but she didn't pull back which gave Castle the courage to continue the movement up until his palm came to rest against her cheek.

Beckett closed her eyes at the contact and tilted her head further into his hand. Beckett's skin felt so soft under his so he started to gently stroke his thumb back and forth under her eye. Beckett opened her eyes again to see Castle looking down at her with such adoration that it caused her breath to catch in her throat.

"Castle," she whispered, her voice catching, which seemed to break whatever spell Castle had been under and caused him to remove his hand quickly and take a step back from her to a more respectable distance which is the exact opposite of what Beckett had wanted when she'd spoken. But it was probably best that they stopped things now before they went too far, they needed to talk first before anything like what was currently going through Beckett's head happened.

Castle bent down then to pick up his bag then, giving Beckett a few seconds to recover before she turned and invited Castle in.

As Beckett showed him around the cabin and where he'd be sleeping, Castle couldn't help but notice how careful Beckett was as she moved, how limited her movements were. He knew that she wouldn't be healed yet, it hasn't been that long since she was injured, but it was still hard to watch her and know there was nothing he could do to help. He noticed as well that by the time she'd shown him around the house and they'd ended up back in the kitchen, she already seemed quite tired.

Beckett retrieved the sandwiches that Jim had made earlier and then they sat down to eat. They still stuck to lighter topics of conversation, like they both had some silent agreement that it wasn't time to properly talk yet. After the years of practice they'd both had, it really was easy for them to continue on together as if nothing had changed between them when they both knew that everything had. Soon they'd both need to talk, but for now, it was easier to pretend that everything was alright.

After lunch, Beckett had had a short rest in bed and Castle had thought about writing while she did that but ended up falling asleep instead. The rest of the day went by rather quickly after that and before they knew it, Jim was back at the cabin and it was time for dinner.

The three of them had spent the rest of the evening together telling stories from their past and Castle was delighted with the amount of stories about a younger Kate Beckett that Jim told them.

Nothing like the small amount of physical contact between them happened again that day.

 **XXX**

Castle was lying in bed later that night, thinking about how surprisingly well the day had gone and wondering how long it was going to be until they ended up having the talk that they both knew he'd come here to have.

A noise from the room next to him caught his attention and it only took him a moment to realise what it was, it was Kate Beckett crying out.

He was out of bed and into the hallway within seconds and was surprised (even though he shouldn't have been) to see Jim outside Beckett's door already, about to go in.

When Jim looked up and saw Castle standing outside his own door, Jim took a step back and nodded towards his daughter's door, indicating for Castle to go in. Castle looked at Jim, making sure he was really okay with letting him into Beckett's room but the sound of her crying out again had Castle stepping forward and he pushed the door gently open. He hadn't been able to be here for her for the last month but nothing was going to stop him from being here for her now.

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I'm sorry about ending it there! And the next chapter is planned to be the last. Thoughts?


	6. Chapter 6

100 reviews! You guys are awesome! Also, I lied, this isn't the last chapter, the story got away from me again so there's still a couple more chapters to come yet. I hope you enjoy this one.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Castle entered the room quietly and pushed the door closed behind him. He went immediately to Beckett's side before he knelt down and took one of her hands in his. The room was dark and he could barely see so with his free hand, he found the light switch of the bedside lamp. Once he'd turned it on, his breath caught as he looked back at Beckett and saw the pain etched across her face and the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, Kate," he said softly, using the hand not currently holding hers to brush back the hair from her forehead before he ran his hand over her head. He didn't want to hold her down or try to wake her but watching her like with was difficult.

She calmed under his touch but she was still making noises, more of a whimpering sound now than screams and he could tell the movement she was making was hurt her, probably pulling at her scars. He's surprised she hadn't woken herself up yet.

"It's okay, I'm here," he whispered as he continued running his hand over her head, trying to calm her down even more.

He sat there with her as she began to settle down, continually whispering soothing words to her. He hated seeing her like this, so obviously in pain but glad his presence here now seemed to be comforting her. He tried not to think about all the nights before this where the same thing had probably happened, except that it was her father that had been here to calm her. He wished that she didn't need comforting in the first place.

"Castle," she murmured and his eyes shot to hers to find that they were closed and she appeared to still be asleep but she was visibly calmer now. Her breathing was almost back to normal, she was no longer moving around the bed and the tears had stopped leaking from her eyes.

"I'm here," he whispered again as he squeezed her hand. He waited a bit longer at her side and once he thought she was back to sleeping normally, he gently squeezed her hand again and then stood to leave. He was just leaning over to switch the light back off when his name drew his attention back to her.

"Castle?" she said again and when he turned back to her, he saw her eyes blinking up at him.

"Hey," Castle said softly, kneeling back beside her and resting his hand over hers once again.

"Is everything okay?" she asked confusedly, wondering what he was doing in her room.

"You were yelling, you had a nightmare," Castle answered, trying to soothe her with the brush of his thumb over her hand.

"Oh..." Beckett replied, trailing off, she hadn't wanted him to see this and had hoped just knowing that he was close by would stop the nightmares from coming but apparently that wasn't the case.

It took her a moment to realise what him being here meant though. When she usually had a nightmare, she woke herself up in a panic but her heart started pounding at the idea that Castle must've calmed her down while she was still sleeping.

"It's okay, go back to sleep," Castle said, distracting her from her thoughts by brushing the hair back off her forehead which made her heart beat even harder at his gentle touch.

He squeezed her hand one more time then made a move to stand but Beckett gripped his hand so he couldn't move.

"Don't go," she said quietly, so quietly that he'd thought he'd misheard her but the pleading look on her face said that he'd heard correctly.

Castle moved his free hand to rest on her cheek to wipe the tears from under her eye.

"Are you sure?" he asked, always still so cautious around her, not entirely sure exactly what she wanted.

"I'm sure," Beckett replied, gripping his hand tighter as if she was afraid he'd leave her.

Beckett shifted then and did something that Castle wasn't expecting, she pulled the blankets back on the other side of the bed. When she'd asked him to stay, he'd assumed she'd meant she wanted him to sit here with her, at least until she fell asleep, but it looked like she wanted him to stay with her for the rest of the night, to actually sleep next to her.

Beckett saw his surprise and mistook it for hesitation, "you don't have to, I just...I want you here."

Admitting that out loud to him, that she wanted him here with her, was a lot easier than she'd expected it to be. But maybe something about it just being the two of them in the middle of the night after he'd just comforted her made it seem less terrifying.

Beckett panicked when Castle let go of her hand completely but she was surprised when he simply walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in beside her.

"Are you okay?" Castle asked when he was settled under the blankets beside her.

"I'm okay," Beckett replied but the words caught in her throat and he saw that her eyes were watering again.

"Come here," he said, letting all their previous boundaries go out the door as he held out his arms to her.

Beckett switched off the light on her side of the bed before she moved closer to Castle who shuffled over himself and then suddenly she was pressed into his side and Castle's arms were around her. She felt like she could stay wrapped in his arms forever.

"Are you okay?" Castle asked again and Beckett nodded against his chest in response, snuggling closer inside his side, relaxing completely against him. Beckett wasn't entirely sure how they were both going to react to this complete demolishment of their carefully constructed boundaries in the morning but right now she didn't care, she just wanted him close.

Castle wrapped his arms tighter around her, conscious of where her injuries were and making sure he wasn't hurting her.

They lay still then, just listening to the other breathing, comforted by their presence.

"Can you sleep?" Castle asked a little why later, knowing Beckett was still awake by the rhythm of her breathing.

"I'm afraid too," Beckett admitted. It always took her a while to relax enough to sleep again after her nightmares. Some nights though, she'd just lie awake after her dad had gone back to his room, wishing morning would come sooner.

"I'm here, I promise I won't let anything happen to you," Castle said, rubbing soothing circles on her upper arm with his thumb.

Beckett huffed a laugh, smiling at how protective he was, "you can't promise I won't dream, Castle."

"I'll be here for you when you wake then," he replied, wanting to show her that she was safe, safe here with him.

"Castle...I..." Beckett started, suddenly wanting to tell him everything, overwhelmed by how much he really did care about her.

"Shhh, Kate, we'll talk in the morning," Castle said, knowing they were both exhausted and maybe with them sleeping side by side, they'd both be able to have a decent sleep.

"In the morning?" Beckett asked, getting more tired by the minute, lulled towards sleep by Castle's steady breathing beside her. But she had to make sure they were going to talk, there were some things she had to tell him.

"I promise, okay? But now we should sleep," Castle replied, hating that he was putting off talking to her even more but the conversation they were going to have would probably go better if they weren't so tired.

"Okay," Beckett mumbled and Castle was glad that she now sounded so close to sleep.

"Goodnight, Kate," Castle said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Goodnight, Castle," Beckett replied, before she finally closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with Castle's comforting warmth around her.

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What did you think?


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to all of you who are reading this, there would be no story without your support. I hope this chapter lives up to expectations.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Beckett woke the next morning to the bed shifting under her and she tensed immediately before she relaxed again, realising it was Castle she was in bed with.

"Sorry," a voice mumbled above her, "go back to sleep."

"What time is it?" Beckett asked, forcing herself not to freak out over the fact that she was in bed with Castle. She wanted to be here with him, she loved him and it was time that she showed him that. And the first step to that was staying here in bed with him and finally having the talk they both needed to have.

She felt Castle shift again, presumably to check the time, "a little after ten."

"Really?" she asked, finally shifting to look up at him, that was the longest she'd slept in all summer.

"Really. Good morning," Castle smiled down at her, his arm still around her, holding her close, which she found she didn't mind at all.

"Good morning," she smiled up at him before asking, "what happened last night?"

"You don't remember?" Castle asked, suddenly worried that she wouldn't want him here any more and she was about to push him away.

She had vague memories of Castle showing up in her room sometime during the night and then she had asked him to stay.

"I had a nightmare?" she asked, more coming back to her as she thought about it, "and then I woke up and you were here?"

"I..umm.. could hear you from my room, you were yelling out," Castle said gently, knowing she didn't like to show anyone how vulnerable she was at times but the fact that she was still in bed with him gave him hope that she may finally let him in, let him see all of her.

Beckett buried her head back into his chest in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, "oh."

Castle just waited, still holding her close, wondering if she was going to speak again and he was about to say something when she did.

"Thank you," she said softly, voice muffled by the fact her face was still pressed against his chest.

"You're welcome," Castle said, hugging her even tighter.

"Do you have nightmares often?" he asked but he was afraid he already knew the answer.

"Every night," she admitted, her voice shaking as memories of all her nightmares came rushing to the front of her mind.

"Me too," Castle replied which caused Beckett to raise her head to look at him.

"You do?" Beckett asked, feeling guilty again about all the pain she'd caused him. She may have had no control over the fact that he'd seen her get shot, but the fact that she'd pushed him away and let him hurt on his own had been her fault alone.

"Every night," Castle parroted, wanting to be honest with her but he hated the pained look that she was now giving him.

"Can I ask what they're about?" Beckett asked, wanting to give him the chance to talk about it if he wanted to, this is why he was here after all.

"You."

"I'm so sorry," she told him again, something she'd been saying a lot in the last few days and something she'd no doubt say again, she was so very sorry for everything she'd put him through.

"It's not your fault," Castle started but Beckett interrupted him.

"But it is," she said, burying herself even further into his side which was going against all her normal instincts to run. She was done running now though, she had to stay, for him.

"No-" Beckett cut him off again.

"Yes, Castle, it is, I shouldn't have just left like I did, I should've at least called you," Beckett said, knowing how wrong she'd now been to cut him out of her life like that, she may have been hurting and a mess but he was too.

"I wish you had've," Castle admitted quietly, deciding that he was going to be nothing but truthful with her, it's what they both needed.

"Is that why you did this week?"

"No," Castle replied, "I was trying to give you space like I assumed you wanted but-" his voice caught and he had to clear it before he continued, "I had one of the nightmares we were just talking about and I wanted, no, I needed to hear your voice."

"I'm so sorry," Beckett said again and Castle realised she was crying, a wet patch growing on his shirt.

"It's okay, we're both okay, we're both here now," Castle replied, trying to soothe her by running his hand up and down her back.

"How are you being so calm about this?" Beckett asked, finally extricating herself from Castle's arms so she could sit up beside him and look at him properly.

"Because I-"

"No, Castle, I hurt you," she said, cutting off whatever he was about to say. She wanted him to see what she'd done to him, it was the only way they could get past this.

"You did," Castle admitted, thinking back to the nights that he'd stayed up drinking, trying to forget about what had happened to her which only ended when Alexis had pleaded him to stop.

"And you're okay with that?" Beckett asked, wondering why he wasn't getting more upset. It's not that she wanted him to be upset but she knew that he wasn't.

"Of course I'm not okay with it," Castle said, his voice rising slightly, the anger that she assumed now he must've just been hiding now evident in his voice.

Castle paused, taking a few deep breaths before he continued, his voice back to a normal volume now, "but you were shot, Kate, I know you needed time and I'm not happy about how you did it but I know you needed time to heal."

"I lied to you," Beckett blurted, suddenly wanting him to know everything, needing him to know everything so they could start the long process of healing that she knew would be easier for both of them if they were together.

"You lied?" Castle asked, confusion now colouring his voice, not entirely sure what she was talking about.

"I remember everything."

It took Castle a moment to understand what she was talking about but she could tell when he did, his eyes widening and his mouth falling open slightly in shock.

"Kate," he choked out, his heart pounding as hurt flooded through him, "and you still left?" He close to tears himself now as he wondered how she could've left him like that, now he knew that she knew how he felt about her, what watching her get shot had done to him.

"I needed time," was all she could reply with, knowing now it was a flimsy excuse. At the time, she'd reasoned that he was better off without her, that she'd heal better without him here but the truth is she'd run. Her wounds may be healing without him but her heart's not.

"Time to what?" Castle asked, the hurt still very clear in his voice.

"I don't know any more," she replied, now avoiding eye contact with him. She couldn't stand to see him in so much pain, knowing she'd caused it.

"What about now?"

Beckett looked at him confusedly, not entirely sure what he was asking.

"Do you still need time? Do you still want to do this alone?"

Beckett's heart started pounding, knowing what he was now asking and what her answer would mean for them. But could she trust herself to not hurt him again?

"Castle..." she trailed off.

"No Kate, I need to know. You know how I feel about you, you know I'll do anything for you but you need to tell me what you want because if it's not me then you need to tell me now," he pleaded, at least if she told him now, he'd have more of a chance to get over her. He'd never get over her.

She lifted her hand to brush his hair off his face and then trailed her hand down his face, settling it on his cheek.

"I'm so sorry for everything I did to you, it was wrong of me to leave. I thought it was what I needed but it wasn't. And I'm sorry for how much I hurt you, it was never my intention to do that and I'd give anything to change that, to stop you from hurting," Beckett said, hoping he could see how much she meant the words she was saying.

"I know you are, and I'm still upset about what you did but I forgive you." More tears slid down her cheeks as Castle spoke so he lifted one of his hands to wipe the tears away.

Hearing Castle's words of forgiveness, Beckett felt like she could breathe properly for the first time since her shooting.

"But you have to promise me something, okay?"

"What?"

"Next time you think you need time alone or you're hurting, talk to me." She had to know that he'd be there for her, always.

"I promise," Beckett replied instantly, she could do that for him.

"What do you want now?" Castle asked once he was certain she was telling him the truth but if she actually wanted him here now, he wanted to hear her say it.

"What I needed before was to have someone here when I woke up from a nightmare to reassure me that everything was fine. Someone who I could talk to, someone who I could trust and wouldn't think less of me when they saw me at my worst and to hold me when I felt like I was falling apart," Beckett said, surprised at her own admission but she needed him to know how much she needed him, "but I also want that the other way around. I want someone I can be there for, to comfort when they're hurt, to hold when they need to be held, someone who I can open up to and who will open up to me in return, someone who I can be partners in everything with."

"Kate…" Castle trailed off, at a loss for words.

"I want you, Castle, I want all of that with you."

"Kate," Castle chocked out but then he was surging forward, cupping her face and he pressed his lips against hers.

She deepened the kiss, moving to push her body closer to his as his hands moved down her body.

"Wait, we can't," Castle said, pulling back reluctantly, speaking with his forehead now pressed to hers.

"I'm fine, Castle, I know you won't hurt me," Beckett replied, moving back to kiss him again, thinking that Castle was talking about her injuries.

"No, your father," Castle said, bringing reality crashing down on Beckett as she remembered exactly where they were and that her father was in the other room.

Beckett groaned in frustration, realising exactly what that meant for them and how she now wouldn't be able to do what she was currently thinking about.

Castle laughed, "there'll be plenty of time for that later."

Beckett's flushed cheeks went an even darker red as she realised that she was getting upset about not being able to have sex with Castle and that he knew that now too.

Although, it was probably a good thing that they didn't have sex right now, she came to realise. It was something that she knew would happen soon but a bit of time first after everything that had happened in the last week was a good idea, especially after how emotional it had been for the both of them.

"I wonder if my dad knows you're in here?" Beckett asked instead, trying to get her mind off how good looking Castle was, lying next to her, and how easy it would be to lean over and pick up exactly where they'd left off.

"He does," Castle answered, brushing the hair back off Beckett's face which had fallen forward while he'd been kissing her before.

"What?" Beckett asked, her cheeks going pink again at the thought that her father knew she was in bed with Castle.

"Well, at least he knows I came in here last night."

When Beckett looked at him confusedly, he continued, "we both got up to check on you last night but he let me come in here alone."

She looked surprised by this news but then smiled, "he trusts you."

Castle smiled back at her, glad he already seemed to have the approval of her father.

"We should get up before he comes looking for us," said Castle, even if her father knew they were in bed together, he didn't want Jim to actually see him in bed with his daughter.

"Fine," Beckett said as she kissed Castle one more time before they got out of bed, ready to head to the kitchen, hand in hand, and face her father together.

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The whole story was leading up to this so I'm a bit nervous about this chapter, what did you guys think? Also, one chapter to go (for real this time).


	8. Chapter 8

A final thanks to everyone who has favourited/followed/reviewed/read this fic, all of you are amazing. I hope you enjoy this final chapter!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Jim wasn't surprised to see his daughter enter the kitchen with Rick the next morning but he was surprised by the fact that they were holding hands.

"Good morning," Jim greeted, smiling at them both, deciding not to mention the hand holding thing.

"Good morning," both Beckett and Castle said in return as they both took a seat at the table, releasing hands as they did so.

"I made breakfast," Jim said then, turning to open the oven from which he produced two plates of food, having put them in there so they wouldn't be cold. Usually his daughter would've been up several hours ago and he's trying not to think about the fact that the reason she's probably up so late this morning is due to Castle.

"Thanks, Dad," Beckett said, smiling at her father and Jim really can't help but notice how much better, happier, she looks now and he knows that's all because of Castle and he makes a mental note to thank him later for how much of a difference he's made to Kate's life.

After placing their food in front of them, Jim made them both a cup of coffee as well placed them on the table too before he took the seat opposite them with his own cup.

Beckett found the silence while they ate slightly awkward and hoped her father and Castle didn't feel it too. She didn't know what to say and felt awkward with the knowledge that her father knew that Castle had spent the night in her bed.

Luckily, breakfast went fairly quickly and then Castle was excusing himself to take a shower, leaving her and her father alone. At the realisation that her father may want to talk to her now though, she suddenly wished Castle had taken her with him. Which turned out that that was an entirely bad thought to have because now she was thinking about being in the shower with Castle and she hoped the blush that most likely covered her cheeks went unnoticed by her father.

"So..." Jim began, trailing off, expecting Beckett to continue and now she really did wish that Castle had taken her with him.

"So?" Beckett questioned, nervous about what her dad might say now.

"You and Rick?" he asked, causing Beckett to blush again and bury her head in her hands as she groaned.

"Forget I said anything," Jim chuckled, enjoying this side of his daughter, one he'd feared he may have lost with her shooting.

"We're something," Beckett finally said, looking up at her father as she spoke.

Jim was slightly surprised by this, not that there was something going on between them, that was obvious to anyone who saw them together and he would've guessed that even if they hadn't walked in holding hands this morning. No, he was more surprised by the fact that she was admitting it.

"You're surprised?" Beckett asked, surprising him again.

"Yes and no," Jim answered, "I've seen how happy he makes you, so that part doesn't surprise me, but the fact that you're telling me about it does."

Beckett was smiling by the time her father had stopped talking, thinking about how happy Castle really does make her.

"See, he makes you happy," Jim said, pointing to his smiling daughter and smiling himself.

"He does," and again Jim was surprised by how open she was being about it. "And there's no point in trying to hide it from you, especially when we're all alone here together."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that." Beckett looked confused so Jim continued, "I was thinking that if Castle's going to be here, then you won't need me. "

"I'll always need you, Dad," Beckett said, so thankful she'd had her father with her since her shooting. They'd gotten a lot closer over the summer and that's the one good thing that's come from all of this (except Castle now of course, but that was inevitable, shooting or not).

"And besides, I don't even know how long Castle is planning to stay," Beckett said, suddenly worried at the thought that Castle may want to leave.

"Well, why don't I let you two talk about that, and I'll be back later," Jim said, standing to kiss Kate's forehead and then walking out of the kitchen, past Castle who was just entering it.

"Is everything okay?" Castle asked as he took his seat next to Beckett again, looking confusedly after her father.

"Everything's fine," Beckett said as she heard the front door shut, wondering where her father was going before she stood and took Castle's hand to lead him into the living room.

Beckett sat down on the couch first then patted the seat next to her for Castle to sit, wanting to have this conversation now about whether he planned to stay or not. She wanted to tell him that she wanted him to stay and wanted to know what he thought about that. She knew he wouldn't be able to stay for long, not with a daughter at home, but she was hoping for at least a few more days with him before he had to leave.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Castle asked again, getting slightly worried and wondering what her and her father may have talked about in his absence.

"Yes, Castle," she smiled, but she knew he was worried so she wasted no time in saying what she wanted to, "I was just wondering how long you were planning on staying?"

"How long do you want me to stay?" Castle asked nervously, suddenly worried that she'd changed her mind in wanting him here with her.

"Of course I want you here," Beckett answered quickly, done now with lying to him or hiding what she really wanted, and she reached out her hand to rest on his as she continued, "but my father was talking about leaving if you were going to be staying for a bit longer."

"And you'd be okay with that?"

"With what?"

"Your father leaving but me staying?"

She smiled, "I would." She knew her father wouldn't stay away for long and the idea of being here alone with Castle was something she was trying not to think about too much right now because she knew exactly what could happen if they were left alone together.

"You do realise you'd have to let me do things for you, right? Like cook you food and actually take care of you?" Castle asked, wondering if she was really ready to let him in that far, to let him into her life completely.

"Yes, Castle," she laughed, which caused him to smile, maybe she truly was ready to let him that close to her.

"And you'd let me, no arguments?"

She gave him a look.

"Okay, with almost no argument it is then," he laughed.

Beckett surprised Castle then by leaning forward and kissing him. Their lips moved together as they both lifted their hands, Beckett's hands moving to run through his hair while Castle's cupped her cheeks, pulling her closer. Beckett groaned as Castle's tongue slipped into her mouth but when they heard the front door slam shut, they both pulled back reluctantly.

"I better go talk to Alexis, tell her I'll be away for a few more days," Castle said quickly, trying to fix his hair as he stood and left, hoping Jim couldn't tell he'd just been making out with his daughter as he passed him on his way out.

"Is he staying?" her father asked as soon as Castle was out of earshot.

"He is," Beckett smiled, hoping that her father couldn't tell what he'd almost just walked in on. Luckily Jim was more focussed on how happy she looked now that Castle was back in her life and was thankful yet again that his daughter had found someone who made her so happy.

"I better go pack my things then," Jim said, leaving the room quickly before any arguments could be made by his daughter that he didn't have to leave right away. He didn't exactly want to leave her when she was still healing but he trusted Castle to look after her and wanted to give them some time alone together.

Beckett watched her father leave and wondered how things had changed so quickly in the last week, how a week and one phone call could change everything.

 **XXX**

Beckett had picked up a book that was lying on the coffee table to read while she waited for either Castle or her father to return and it wasn't long later when she heard talking coming from one of the other rooms but she couldn't make out what was being said.

"What were you two talking about?" Beckett asked as soon as Castle entered the room again.

"I spoke to Alexis and she told me to stay out here as long as you needed me but I don't want to be away from her for too long so Jim and I have come to an arrangement, one we both hope you'll agree to," Castle said nervously, hoping Beckett would be okay with the plan they'd just come up with.

"An arrangement?" Beckett asked, having no idea what he could be talking about now.

"I'll stay here during the week and then on the weekend I'll head back home to see Alexis while your dad comes back out here to stay with you."

"I don't need to be babysat," said Beckett, annoyance creeping into her voice as she realised what they were planning. Although she was probably more upset over the fact that that would interrupt both of their lives as they tried to care for her instead of the fact that she needed someone to care for her in the first place.

"We know, but at least for now, we'd both feel better if you had someone here with you."

Castle was worried that he'd overstepped when she sat there for a minute, not saying anything, but then a smile was spreading across her face.

"Okay," she smiled, reaching out to grab his hand again like she had before.

"Okay," he smiled, squeezing her hand in return.

 **XXX**

It was not long later and Jim was all packed and ready to go. He was going to head back to the city for the week but they'd agreed that he'd come back out here on Friday evening so Castle could go see Alexis and his mother. He'd spend the weekend with them before returning to the cabin on Sunday when Jim would leave again.

Beckett had argued again that she didn't need someone with her all the time but they'd convinced her, at least for now, to let them both take turns in staying with her.

"Are you sure it's okay that I go?" Jim asked one last time as he put his suitcase in the car and came to stand by the front door.

"I'm sure Dad, we'll be fine here," Beckett said, smiling as she kissed her father's cheek as they stood by his car.

"You'll look after her?" Jim asked, turning to Castle as he spoke.

"Always," Castle assured her father.

"I'll see you two on Friday, then," Jim said, before giving his daughter one last hug, shaking Castle's hand and then he was climbing into his car and with a wave, he was gone.

"What now?" Beckett asked as they walked back into the cabin, not entirely certain what to do now that they were properly alone for the first time since everything had changed.

"Now, I make you lunch and we spend the rest of the day cuddling on the couch while watching movies."

 **XXX**

Later that evening, as they lay snuggled together in Beckett's bed, Castle did something that he'd been wanting to do since he'd arrived, but had lacked the courage to do until now.

"I love you," he whispered just behind her ear as she lay in his arms, her back pressed up against his front while his arms were her around her, holding her close.

He held still after he'd spoken, not sure if Beckett had even heard to words but then she was moving, picking up his arm from where it rested on her stomach. She moved the hand up to her lips, hoping he could feel her smile as she placed a soft kiss on his hand.

"I love you too," she whispered.

Castle wanted nothing more than to spin her around then so they were face to face and then he'd show her just how much he loved her using his lips and his body and his hands instead of his words. But he didn't. They'd talked and agreed to take things slow so instead, he placed a single kiss on the back of her neck as he pulled her even closer to him.

"Goodnight," he whispered.

"Goodnight," she whispered in return, both so very glad that Castle had made that phone call and they were now where they were always meant to be, together.

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The end! I hope you had fun reading this fic, I certainly enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you thought :)


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